Wire-fence-stretching device.



WITNESSES.

Qfj/oLw PATENTED SEPT. 11, 190 A. ADAM. WIRE FENGE STRETGHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23,1906- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

llVI/E/VTOR PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

A. ADAM. WIRE FENCE STRETGHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23,19Q6.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: mymmp [MW W7 97 07 a 7% ATTOHNEVS for an alternate actuatingengag'ement with Indiana; have invented c'ertain'new and useful Improvements in W1reFenee'-Stretching inult-aneously and uniformly to a point past theterminal post and then firmly securing v them in such position to enablethe operator UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WIREY-FENCE-STRETICHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

' Application filed March 23, 1906. Serial N 307.758.

Toall who it may-concern: v

. Be it known that I, ANDREW ADAM, a citizen-of the, United States, residing at Kendallville, in the county of Noble,in the State of Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact 'desorip'- tion ofxthe invention, which will enable 'others skilled in theflart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification. i

My invention relates to improvements in wire-fen'ce-stretching devices:

It is wellknown that the-present method of taking up the slackin wire'fences'when it is desired tor secure'one-end to afterminal post is to stretch one'wire at a time-and then staple them consecutively to the post, the fence-wire being in themeantime secured by various devices in close proximity to the 'ter minalposty. I i y T he primary object of my'pre'sent invention is to providea comparativelycheap, simple; efficient, and convenient means for stretching all the longitudinal fence-wires si" to conveniently staple thefence-wircs to the post at his leisure.

Another object is totprovide an improved means forraising or lowering thepoint of draft on fence'\'vires uniformly and simulta neously {during the operation elf-stretching the sametosul; the inequalitiesof the ground or othercause. i I

A t r" ipalnovelfeatures of my inven. ticn resid. .in the-vmeansfor-stretching all the fence-wires uniformly and simultane' ously and for-raisingand lowering the pointof draft on the adjacent portion of the fence during the. operation of stretching.- 1 Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the,accompanying. drawings, in which? I Figure 1 is aside view of my invention in positionforusewith the adjacent end of the wires shown in dotted ontline in the position i to which they are adjusted when stretched and in position forstapling them to the post. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing the construction by which the op'posite cdoperatin" claws of the operating-lever areadapted' the fence-connecting means. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective deta l'of the means for raising and lowering the point of draft on-the 'adjaoe ntend of the fence and itsconnection with the actuating means.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, my'invention is adapted to be employed in connection with any suitable fence-clamp, the one shown being of common form and consisting of 'apair of vertical plates 1, ri

idly held in a spaced parallel relation by means of the transverse bolts 2, and a pair of rods 3,'pivotallyconnected at their bifurcated ends to the opposite ends of the plates 1 and loosely connected at their adjacent ends by means of the ring4, to which is loosely secured one end of a chain 5, the other end of which is engaged by the stretching 1 neans. i i a wires 6, as shown, or it may consist of a The fence on which the 'saidclamp is mounted may consist of a series of longitudinal woven-wire fence of well-understood construction. i

' To that face of the fence-post 7 opposite to the fence are pivotally mounted in anypro'per manner the outer ends of the oblique arms 8 and 9, identical in construction and provided upon their inner ends with the loosely-inounted stirrups 10, having their respective base:

plates 11 and \12, provided. upon their'inner ends with the respective apertured ears '13 and 14, which are'pivotallyconnected with the bifurcatedend ofthe cle'vis 15, which is arranged to project rearwardly between the stirrupsl0, as shown'in'Fig. 3.

These parts are hinged or pivotally connected together by means of the bolts-16 and secured thereon by a nut 17.

The arms '8 and 9 are provided 'with a longitudinal slot 18 through which projects and inwhich is slidably arranged the respective studs or rigid bolts 19 and 20' of the stirrups these studsare ariangedthwashers 21 and 10. These arms are also provided with a metallic slotted plate 8". On the outer end of Toe 21 which have a bearing on the plate-8, and y the respective tail-burs and 23,v by means of which the inner ends of these arms are afforded a'limited longitudinaladjustment on the respective stirrup's 10, for the purpose, I

hereinafter-described.' The arnr 8 is also preferably provided upon the outer face of 1 I its upper end with a hook 38, adapted to se -f cure a rope 37, which is'fastened to the top of the post 7,, for the purpose of better securing.

the upper end of the arm 8; A'lateral brace or leg 24 has a suitable hinge 25 upon its up per end, which hinge is also mounted upon one end of the bolt 16 and is rigidly secured thereon by means of the nut 17. The lower end of this leg is preferably pointed tobe .inserted in the ground, as shown at 26.

To the loop end of the clevis is loosely connected the loop end of a second clevis 27, whose bifurcated end is pivotally connected to the laterally-enlarged head 28 of the operating-lever 29 bymeans of the bolt 32 and has a' proper handle 30, which is removably mounted in the socket 31, Fig. 2.

On the opposite ends of the lever-head 28 are pivotally mounted the inner ends of the clutch-arms 33 and 34 of identical construc tion, whose outer ends are provided with bifurcated claws adapted to alternately .engage the outer end of the chain 5 during the operation of tightening up the wirefence in the manner about'to be described.

The operation and manner of employing my invention thus described are obvious, and, briefly stated, are as follows The fenceclamp is first adjusted upon the adjacent end of the fence with the wires secured between the plates 1 thereof. The outer ends of the arms 8 and 9 are provided with a'claw-plat'e 35, whose pointed end is adapted to be temporarily inserted into the adjacent face of the post 7, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The operator then hooks the claw 34-into the free end of the chain 5, as shown in Fig. 2, and draws the chain and fence forward by means of the hand-lever '29. This operation throws the handle of the lever forward and the other claw 33 rearwardly into a position in which it can readily be engaged with the chain 5 at a point nearer the fence-clamp, when by moving the lever rearwardly into the pqsi tion shown in Fig. 2 there will be another forward movement of the fence, after which the claw 33 will be disengaged and the claw 34 again engaged with the chain 5. By a suitable repetition of these movements of the operating-lever the fence can be stretched past the post 7; oruntil all the slack is taken out of it, after which the lever is locked in any desired holdin position by inserting a pin in the one of thG iIOlGS 36 in the head 28 of the operating-lever, Fig. 2. The operator can then "conveniently staple the wires to the, post 7. The lateral obliquely arranged brace or leg 24 prevents any undue lateral strain or displacement of the arms 8 and 9'in the direction toward the operator, and the. chain 5 will obviously prevent any swing or displacement ofthese arms in the other =di- I When it is desired to elevate. the point ofdraft on the fence, as in-case of rection in use.

'inequalities'of the ground or other cause, it a can readily and" convenlently be done by loosening the tail-bur 22, after which the strain of the draft upon the corresponding I 1. In a wire-fence-stretching device the' combination with upright fence-clampof a pair of-oblique arms adapted to be temporarily secured at their outerends to a supporting-post, and having their inner ends.

pivotally connected; means for pivotally connecting the fence-clamp with the oblique arms ator near their-inner adjacent ends; and means for affording a lon'gitudinal'ad justmentof the inner ends of said arms relative to their pivotal connection for the purpose of vertically adjusting'the point of draft as described.

2. A wire-fence-stretching device consist-' ing offian upright fence-clamp; a pair of oblique arms'adapted to be temporarily secured to a support and pivotallyconnected at their inner endsto a draft device; means for pivotally connecting the draft device to the fence-clamp means for imparting to the draft device a vertical adjustment; and'.

means for resisting the lateral strain upon the draft device to prevent derangement thereof.

3. The combination, in a wire fence' stretching device of an upright fence-clamp a pair of obli ue arms adapted to be temporarily secured at their outer ends to the fence-post on which the adjacent end of the fence-1s to be secured, and having their inner adjacent ends pivotally connected and adapted for a limited longitudinal adjustment relative to their pivotal connection; a

draft device pivotally connected to the connecting means of the two arms; means for connecting the draft device to the fenceclamp; means for actuating the said connectfence cla1np; and means for imparting to the ing meansb'etween the draft device and the draft device a vertic'al'adjustment for the purpose described.

Signed by me at Kendall'v'ille, Noble county, State of Indiana, this 17th day of March, A. D. 1906.

'- QANDREWADAM,

Witnessesz. FRED L. BODENHA'FER,

.IIARRY D. BQDENHAFER. 

